The invention relates to a carrying bag for a portable computer and particularly a carrying bag for exposing the screen on the front side of the computer without unfolding the lid.
A general portable computer or notebook computer has a scratch-resistant or strongly-built lid to protect the important and fragile screen. When in use, the lid must be unfolded. When not in use, the lid is closed to facilitate safe movement. However, when carrying outdoors, in order to prevent the computer from being hit or crushed by other carrying articles, users generally prepare a matching bag to hold and carry the computer. While the carrying bag can protect the valuable and fragile notebook computer, it creates many other problems. For instance, when using the computer, the user has to lay down the bag, unfasten the zipper, remove the computer, place the computer on a desk, connect the mouse, etc., then unfold the lid to operate the computer. When these tasks are finished and the computer is to be packed and stored, the actions mentioned above must be repeated in reverse order. They are time-consuming and have to be performed repeatedly. This is a huge waste of people""s time. It""s especially annoying to people who have to work outdoors such as engineers, soldiers, or persons who constantly move on the shop floor to collect data or perform auditing. In outdoor environments where clean or neat desks are not available, to unpack and hold the computer in a good working condition is difficult or impossible. Moreover, on rainy days and in damp and foul environments where office facilities are wanted, the carrying bag does not provide much help to facilitate computer operation for users. It could happen that users have to hold the computer with one hand and operate the computer with other hand. All this creates a negative impact on user""s efficiency and productivity.
There are special purpose portable computers being developed that do not have lids to facilitate operation and information retrieval. Those computers do not have lids but have an exposed screen. While they save the trouble of folding and unfolding the lid, the screen held in the bag is not visible from the outside and not ready for use. Users still have to remove the computer from the bag before use. Thus the computers with an exposed screen now available on the market still have operational problems.
In order to fulfill the needs mentioned above, the primary object of the invention is to provide a carrying bag for a portable computer that enables a user to carry a computer with an exposed screen wherever he/she likes and use it whenever desired. Another object is to provide a carrying bag that has a self support function for standing up by itself at a desired angle or on a table to facilitate operation.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the front side of the bag has a see-through section to enable users to look at information on the computer screen and/or operate the keyboard or touch screen without removing the computer from the bag.
In addition, there are loops located on the diagonal or four corners of the bag to couple with buckles or hooks located at two ends of a shoulder strap so that the computer may be held at a usable position wherever the user goes.
On one side of the bag, there is a guarding flap to cover and protect the see-through section on the front side of the bag. The guarding flap may be folded reversely to become a support rack on the back side of the bag to hold the bag and the computer in the bag at a desired angle or on a table so that the screen may be positioned steadily like a conventional computer screen to match the user""s viewing angle.
Moreover, because of the design of the see-through section on the front side of the bag, when the computer is held at a standing position by means of the support rack on a still location, users can browse the information on the computer screen through the see-through section without removing the computer.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.